This study will evaluate the effect of ranibizumab on patients undergoing vitrectomy surgery for the complications of diabetic retinopathy.

Vitrectomy surgery can be difficult and bleeding after the operation can reduce vision for patients. Our hypothesis is that injection into the eye of ranibizumab one week before surgery will make the surgery easier, reduce complications and improve outcome.

In this trial, patients will be randomly allocated to receive either ranibizumab injection or a placebo injection of saline. Neither the patient, their surgeon, nor the study investigators will know which they have received so that a fair comparison can be made.

The RaDiVit study is a pilot randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effect of ranibizumab as an adjunct to diabetic vitrectomy surgery.

Patients with complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy who require vitrectomy surgery will be recruited to this study. Baseline tests will be performed, including refracted visual acuity, B-scan ultrasound, OCT scanning, colour fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography. Patients will be randomised 1:1 to receive either ranibizumab intravitreal injection or saline subconjunctival injection.

One week later, surgery will be carried out. The baseline tests will be repeated on the day of surgery to examine for any discernible difference between the two groups one week after treatment. Surgery will be video recorded and detailed assessments of the operative details carried out.

A vitreous sample and a paired serum sample will be taken at the time of surgery to compare levels of ranibizumab and related cytokines.

Follow up visits will take place at six and twelve weeks. Assessments at that point will include:

visual acuity

OCT scan

colour fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients of either sex aged 18 years or over

Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2). Any one of the following will be considered to be sufficient evidence that diabetes is present:

Current regular use of insulin for the treatment of diabetes

Current regular use of oral anti-hyperglycaemic agents for the treatment of diabetes

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01306981

Locations

United Kingdom

Moorfields Eye Hospital

London, United Kingdom, EC1V 2PD

Sponsors and Collaborators

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Novartis

Investigators

Principal Investigator:

James W Bainbridge, MA PhD FRCOphth

Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology